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Robert Donnell Bone (1832-1892) was born in Wilson County, Tennessee, and came to Nacogdoches County in 1841 with his mother and stepfather. He and his brothers and sister moved in with his older sister when she married John Winstead Paine in 1846. After a serious illness of pneumonia, R. D. Bone rode horseback to Tennessee and entered the University at Nashville Medical School (which later became Vanderbilt University) in 1854 and returned to Douglass, Texas, to practice medicine after graduating in 1858. That same year he married Griselda Minerva Burk (1841-1912) who was also from Tennessee and had moved to Nacogdoches County, Texas, with her family in 1848. On November 25, 1861, Dr. Bone was appointed to serve as Assistant Surgeon of the 12th Texas Volunteer Infantry, Col. Overton Young's Regiment at Camp Hebert, Hempstead, Austin County, Texas. He felt it was his duty to serve the cause of the Confederacy and eagerly attended his post. As revealed in the following letters exchanged with his wife while on active duty in the Civil War, it soon became clear that he would have to contend with inadequate provisions, boring camp routine and confusing orders. "The Fever", dysentery, measles and exposure were Dr. Bone's patients' main medical problems; his regiment was not involved in any serious fighting. When he resigned his commission on March 7, 1863, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, he went back to Douglass, Texas, to practice medicine. Dr. Bone also bought cotton and cattle and took them to New Orleans each fall to be sold. Minerva was Post Mistress in Douglass from 1866-1867. Only six of the Bone's 12 children reached adulthood, and two of their sons graduated from the University at Nashville Medical School exactly 50 years after Dr. Bone did. At least eight of his descendants have followed him in serving the medical profession. (Aiken, Roy L. (Pete). "Bone Family." In Nacogdoches County Families, 172. Dallas, Tx.: Curtis Media Corporation, 1985.)

Scope and Content Note

Included in the collection of letters between Dr. Bone and Minerva are letters to the Bones from family and friends, report forms from the post office at Douglass, and two poems (probably written by Dr. Bone). Typescripts for most of the papers in the collection are in a booklet in Box 2. Several 19th century newspapers belonging to Dr. Bone are cataloged and shelved with the newspaper bundles.

I wish to apologize to you for the weakness (if weakness it be) manifested by me when we parted, there were many things I wanted to talk about but I was to [sic] full. You know little how I suffered in mind about you and little Winstead on parting with you. The thought that I might find you or little Winstead gone to try the realities of an unknown future with Watson Eve [sic] when I should visit home again was trying indeed. You are to me Minerva more than all this world. Your company is my life, my all in this world. I love you with a passion that none but you and I can comprehend. We have lived together agreeably peacably [sic] and lovingly. You have been a true and faithful companion to me and I have tried to be so to you, the thought that such pleasant relations might be destroyed by the ruthless hand of death before our meeting again was hard and when I gazed on your (to me) sweet face and asked myself the question if I should ever see it again I could not help giving vent to my feelings as you saw. But let us hope and trust that we will yet meet again to live together and love as we have done Life would have little to interest me if you were lost to me. O may He who rules the destiny of all things preserve us I will probably be at home again before long but to remain only a short time. It was a very hard matter for me to get sleep enough while at home but now it is hard to get to sleep on account of the mosquitos [sic] and fleas they are here in multitudes. I lost my hat as I came down on the stage, I went to sleep and it dropt [sic] out of the window. I did not find my Belt. The man at whose house I left it said he was well acquainted with me and that he would bring it to me. That is the last of it recon I have heard nothing of Pilot yet Take good care of your self and little Winstead. I can see him so plain watching your Pa smoking and working his little hands in childlike play. Kiss him for me and ask the Good Lord to save him to us and so decree that he shall be a good boy and are useful man Write soon and direct your letters to R. D. Bone (Col Young’s Reg) Hempstead Texas

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